( 23 )
Dr. BELL.-Well, nominally it takes, I believe, about half an hour to three quar- ters of an hour. Of course, there is a great deal more work than mere inspection. You have to watch all cases under treatment. You see the case in the morning and
then make a rough diagnosis with a view to preventing a case of an infectious disease being taken in, but you have to see some of the cases for days afterwards to come to a diagnosis.
Dr. STEDMAN. Have you ever been in charge of the subordinate staff?
Dr. BELL.-I don't know that I was ever actually in charge of them. I used to
go out when I was Gaol Surgeon and Dr. AYRES could not get away.
Dr. STEDMAN. Could you give us any idea how long the work takes?
Dr. BELL.-It varies so; I could not say.
Dr. STEDMAN. Have you any idea of the number of the subordinate staff?
Dr. BELL.--I have not the least idea. I may say that the Principal Civil Medical Officer is having a proper list drawn up.
Dr. STEDMAN. Yes, he has written and told us there are 450, but that includes Chinese.
Dr. BELL.-The Chinese have to be visited as it is necessary to send in a certificate if they are unable to do their duty.
Colonel HUGHES-Are those Chinese l'olice?
Dr. BELL-No, all sorts. The Chinese l'olice always come to the Hospital. Dr. STEDMAN. And, I suppose, that the other Chinese if they want European treatment go to the Hospital?
Dr. BELL.-Yes.
Dr. STEDMAN.-You don't often visit Chinese in their homes?
Dr. BELL.-No, I should think very rarely. A great many of them come up to the Hospital in the morning. I have out patients from nine to ten in the morning.
Dr. STEDMAN. If the Bacteriologist, whom I believe they have written lome for, is sanctione.l, will he relieve you a great deal of your microscopic and bacteriological work at the Hospital?
Dr. BELL.-Not to any great extent, I think. There is always a good deal of work of this kind attached to a hospital.
Dr. SIEDMAN-But surely you will send a great many of the specimens to him for examination? Typhoid and diphtheria swabs and the like ?
Dr. BELL. I might possibly.
Colonel HUGHES.-If not, what will be his work?
Dr. BELL.-Investigating diseases from a bacteriological point and preparing the various sera and vaccine lymph.
Dr. STEDMAN. Do you know there is to be a Hospital for plague in Kowloon ?
Dr. BELL-Yes.
Dr. STEDMAN.—Is it to be medically officered by Europeans or Chinese ?
Dr. BELL. I could not exactly say what is intended. The resident, I believe, will be one of the Chinese students, but it will be supervised by a Government Medical Officer.
Dr. STEDMAN. It is not the intention to put European patients there?
57